Skip to section navigation
Skip to page content

RAND > Topics >

Air Transportation

RAND research on air transportation has examined a wide range of topics, including air traffic control, air safety and security, fuel systems, and accident investigations.

Commentary

Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends

The August 4 attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counter-terrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.

Aug 13, 2018
Commentary

New Technologies Could Help Small Groups Wreak Large-Scale Havoc

Lone wolves or small groups could use emerging technologies, such as drones or AI, for nefarious purposes. The threat is even greater when these technologies are used along with disinformation spread over social media.

Jun 18, 2018
Report

Options for Flying Contraband into North Korea

Activist groups in South Korea are seeking improvements in the balloons they use to carry political, religious, and humanitarian materials across the border into North Korea. Balloon delivery techniques have evolved and some have started using hexacopter drones. How effective are these methods?

Apr 2, 2018
Research Brief

What's the Buzz? Delivery Drones Are Here

Delivery drones are fast becoming a reality. As many as three million commercial drones could be flying in U.S. airspace by 2020. The prospect of a package arriving at your door in a matter of minutes is exciting, but what do we know about the hidden costs, the safety concerns, and the trade-offs?

Mar 5, 2018
Periodical

Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2018

This issue highlights RAND research on life inside the Islamic State and on the economic returns of early childhood investments, plus lessons for the U.S. from Britain's approach to free child care.

Jan 3, 2018
Report

International Commercial Drone Regulation and Drone Delivery Services

Commercial drone regulations vary from country to country; regulatory bodies struggle to adapt current laws to new technology. The author draws on a literature review to summarize regulations and highlight the obstacles to drone use worldwide.

Dec 5, 2017
Multimedia

New TSA Administrator Discusses Global Aviation Security

In this Events @ RAND podcast, TSA Administrator David Pekoske joins Brian Michael Jenkins for a discussion about the TSA's strategy and approach to operations in the face of evolving threats to transportation from terrorist groups and the individuals they inspire.

Nov 29, 2017
Report

Assigning Responsibility Following a Catastrophe: Alternatives to Relying Solely on Traditional Civil Litigation

This report reviews various alternatives to relying exclusively on traditional civil litigation to assign responsibility for the human causes of a catastrophe and to determine the types of losses that a designated responsible party must reimburse.

Nov 28, 2017
Commentary

Drones Could Deliver Change to Africa

Drones could transform Africa's urban and rural infrastructure and enhance its agricultural productivity. But deployment of drones on the continent faces technological, economic, social, and legal, and regulatory challenges.

Nov 17, 2017
Report

Options for Regulating Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

The FAA predicts that there will be between 2.75 and 4.47 million small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) flown in the United States by 2021. As the skies become more crowded, action is needed from the federal government and sUAS manufacturers and operators to ensure the public's safety.

Nov 6, 2017
Report

Report

Design Perspectives on Delivery Drones

This report explores the vehicle design aspects of delivery drones, including flight efficiency, energy consumption, noise, and safety, which are central to the viability of delivery drones.

Sep 28, 2017
Report

Report

The Energy Implications of Drones for Package Delivery: A Geographic Information System Comparison

In this report, we use a geographic information system analysis to compare truck versus delivery drone energy use.

Sep 28, 2017
Report

What's the Buzz? The City-Scale Impacts of Drone Delivery

This report examines the developing technology for using drones to deliver packages and attempts to identify the societal impacts. In particular, the author estimates the potential effects on energy consumption, aerial congestion, and other outcomes.

Aug 9, 2017
Report

Chinese Investment in U.S. Aviation Is Not a Threat to Competitiveness

Since 2005, Chinese companies have acquired, merged, or established joint ventures with more than a dozen U.S. aviation companies. The investment has been limited to smaller manufacturers of technologies not relevant to commercial or military aircraft, likely due to effective U.S. export and foreign investment regulations.

Apr 10, 2017
Report

What's the Buzz on Delivery Drones?

Millions of commercial drones may be in the air by 2020. This could make near-instant airborne delivery a reality. But what are the hidden costs?

Dec 20, 2016
Commentary

How to Prevent Drones Colliding in Crowded Skies

The federal government should work with private firms to develop drone traffic management systems and test drone designs. This could help stimulate the development of drone aviation. It could also help modernize the air traffic control system.

Sep 14, 2016
Commentary

Out of Line: How to Better Protect Airports from Terrorist Attacks

In airport security, it's not the size of a potential terrorist bomb that matters most, it's where it detonates. Fortunately, new technologies may present opportunities to get travelers out of line and keep them safe.

May 2, 2016
Report

Can the Air Force and Airlines Collaborate for Mutual Benefit? An Exploration of Pilot and Maintenance Workforce Options

This report explores ways the Air Force and commercial airlines could collaborate on issues related to their pilot and maintenance workforces by evaluating benefits, costs, and feasibility from the perspectives of both sides.

Apr 21, 2016
Commentary

Regulating Drone Airspace Using 'Smart Markets'

With commercially operated autonomous drones potentially on the horizon, a policy problem is likely to emerge: allocation of scarce airspace and preferred flight paths. “Smart markets” could help.

Apr 19, 2016
Dissertation

The Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Agriculture in Africa: Can It Fly?

Examines the feasibility of adopting agricultural unmanned aerial systems in Africa.

Nov 11, 2015

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Next

RAND Topic:
Air Transportation

Research conducted by